The Progressive Alliance: Why the SNP needs it Tommy Sheppard and Anne McLaughlin A publication by Compass Published April 2017 by Compass By Tommy Sheppard and Anne McLaughlin © Compass All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of criticism or review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrievable system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of Compass . Compass 11-12 The Oval Bethnal Green London E2 9DT Compass is a home for those who want to build and be a part of a Good Society; one where equality, sustainability and democracy are not mere aspirations, but a living reality. We are founded on the belief that no single issue, organisation or political party can make a Good Society a reality by themselves so we have to work together to make it happen. Compass is a place where people come together to create the visions, alliances and actions to be the change we wish to see in the world. CONTENTS 4 About the authors About this project 5 What is in it for us? 7 Only one Tory 8 What happened last time? 10 Is the SNP progressive? 11 The N word 12 The Scottish realignment 14 Yes Scotland 16 The legacy of defeat 18 Scotland’s mass party 19 The SNP in government 21 Public provision and universalism 24 Back to independence 25 Solidarity 3 The Progressive Alliance: Why the SNP needs it ABOUT THE AUTHORS ABOUT THIS PROJECT Anne McLaughlin is a Scottish National Party The progressive alliance, or indeed alliances, (SNP) politician and the Member of Parliament is based on a series of local and national (MP) for Glasgow North East since 2015. She agreements to cooperate to secure the most was a Member of the Scottish Parliament for progressive outcome at and after the next Glasgow between 2009 and 2011. In the 2015 general election. For this to happen support for UK general election she won the Glasgow North such alliances must be built within and across East constituency for the SNP from the Labour all the progressive parties, as well as deep Party candidate Willie Bain, with a swing of 39%, within civil and economic society. This is one breaking the electoral record for the biggest of a series of publications exploring why the swing in a general election. Anne is now Shadow progressive parties and wider social movements SNP Spokesperson on Civil Liberties should support such an alliance-building approach. Tommy Sheppard was born in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, in 1959, and moved to Scotland to study medicine at Aberdeen University. He graduated with a degree in politics and sociology and went to London. Returning to Scotland in 1993 Tommy set up the Stand Comedy Club in 1995, which he started as a hobby and built into a successful business. Tommy lives in Edinburgh with his partner Kate and cocker spaniel Henry. Tommy was an active member of the Labour Party for over 20 years. He stood for parliament in 1992, and was a councillor in Hackney from 1986 to 1993. He moved back north of the border when John Smith appointed him Assistant General Secretary of the Labour Party in Scotland. As Tony Blair took Labour in search of Middle England, Tommy was one of many who got left behind. In September 2014, after spending two years working on the Yes campaign, he finally got round to joining the SNP. In May 2015, Tommy Sheppard was elected as the MP for Edinburgh East with a majority of 9,106 and 49.2% of the vote. Tommy is the SNP’s spokesperson on the Cabinet Office and speaks for the party on proportional representation and constitutional reform. 4 The Progressive Alliance: Why the SNP needs it WHAT IS IN IT FOR US? We have been asked by Compass to contribute to a discussion on whether and how the SNP might support a progressive alliance within the UK. This is relevant not only while Scotland remains part of the UK, but may also create alliances and perspectives which inform progressive governance of the British Isles after Scotland becomes an independent country. Following the call for a second Scottish independence referendum in March 2017 and the determination of the Scottish Parliament to allow people in Scotland a choice of post-Brexit futures we are about to begin to campaign in earnest to win a referendum on Scottish independence. While that may only be of passing interest to people engaged in the debate about a UK progressive alliance, it will be all consuming for our party. Our focus will be on Scotland in the immediate future and our ability to take part in debates on a UK progressive alliance will be limited. Nonetheless, we set out some arguments below which we hope will ensure that our intentions are not misunderstood and which could form the basis for alliances once we win the constitutional reforms we seek. One could argue that it is actually more in the interests of independence campaigners to see the UK unreformed and ever more reactionary. The worse the UK gets the stronger the case for leaving it becomes. Some might say, therefore, that not only does taking part in an alliance to secure progressive reform in the UK not help the cause of independence, it could undermine it. With the prospect of the UK becoming more isolationist and more divided on ethnic lines, and with the public sector and workers’ rights under attack, we should simply let the Brexiteers get on with creating their dystopian future while we busy ourselves building the case for secession. But that has not been the SNP’s attitude. Since June 2016 we have consistently argued for the whole of the UK to stay in the Single Market, only advancing the case for a differentiated post-Brexit arrangement for Scotland once it was clear that the Tory government was set on the hardest Brexit possible. Even now, as we prepare for a Scottish referendum, we will still argue for UK-wide arrangements which hurt working people least. Our reasoning is simple. 5 The Progressive Alliance: Why the SNP needs it First, just because things get worse people our time at Westminster may be drawing to a will not necessarily demand change. If you close we will maintain this stance until we leave. hit someone with a big stick and there’s no guarantee they will fight back, they might just lie Third, being part of a progressive alliance in the down and bleed. UK can allow us to explain and promote the progressive case for Scottish independence We have been there before. During the long, and help build support for the proposition in lean years of the Thatcher government, people Scotland and beyond. As we argue below, saw whole towns and industries devastated, the character of the Yes movement was mass unemployment blighted many parts of unequivocally progressive and it garnered Scotland and Labour lost general election after the support of most left of centre activists in general election. But still Scotland stuck with Scotland. But there were some who were not the UK. Scots had an alternative in the SNP and convinced and we should aim to have them with independence but despite the extent of the de- us next time. Explaining how independence fits industrialisation, or perhaps because of it, they into the progressive politics of Britain will at least lay down and bled. start that dialogue. It will also help to normalise the proposition for our immediate neighbours, Second, while we want independence as soon to remove the fear and misunderstanding that as possible and will be putting the collective surrounded the argument in 2014. energy of a mass movement into making sure we win it, nothing is guaranteed. Until we win a referendum, and see its outcome implemented, We seek control of the lives of the people of Scotland will be our own affairs not affected by decisions at Westminster. to withdraw from Until we win a Britain, Europe or referendum, and the world, but to see its outcome better engage with implemented, the other countries, on lives of the people our own terms and as of Scotland will be equal partners affected by decisions Fourth, the way we campaign for independence at Westminster. will have an effect on its success and sustainability. We seek control of our own affairs As SNP MPs we were elected on the mandate not to withdraw from Britain, Europe or the ‘Stronger for Scotland’, which broadly means world, but to better engage with other countries, attempting to get the best deal we can from on our own terms and as equal partners. The the UK for as long as we remain part of it. It is relationships we create now will continue in therefore very much in our short term interest the future and will help the new Scottish state, also to work towards a change of government its institutions and civil society to engage in the UK and secure an administration that will cooperatively with the people and governments halt the reduction in the relative and absolute of England and Wales. size of the public sector, combat inequality through progressive tax reform, and further And besides all that we all have family and devolve control to the nations and regions of friends who we would not wish to abandon to the UK. We have worked hard over the last two the forces of reaction if we can help it.